Sachem East Students Say Teachers Forced Political Activism

Some students at Sachem High School East say their teachers made it mandatory for them to write a letter to Albany urging lawmakers to grant more state aid to the district.

According to an article in Newsday, four students, who remained anonymous for the story, claim they were forced to write letters to the state government and even coached on what to write.

The assignment prompted one Sachem East senior to email Newsday complaining that the school was violating its obligation to stay politically neutral.

The email stated that some teachers had "thrown away any pretense of objectivity or viewpoint neutrality, that as educators they should bring to the classroom." 

State court rulings have barred schools from mandating students take a political side, according to the article.

Meanwhile, Superintendent James Nolan said the letter writing campaign was intended to be a voluntary initiative.

"The letter writing campaign came from our Legislative Committee as a way to advocate for Sachem while also teaching civics," Nolan stated in an email.

The issue raises questions about whether or not writing letters to Albany for increased aid constitutes a "partisan position" in the first place. It is also unclear if district administrators have investigated the matter in-house to determine if, in fact, teachers mandated the letters as an assignment. 

Further inquiries to Nolan and to Principal Louis Antonetti were not returned. Sachem Patch will report on any responses from administrators going forward.